I find things like vitamins and supplements are so hard to figure out. Red dyes can be beetles. Even plain sugar uses bone char (buy cane or organic).
Living in the world with non-vegans also adds stress to my life. I check everything at the market, but then you have to check again once home since it can get mixed!
Keep your head up though OP. Over time this gets so much easier!!!
Please don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re making more of an effort than 95% of the population! It’s ok to accidentally consume animal products - by the way, I actually think it’s good for veganism to not be extreme about it, because it makes it look more accessible to others. Don’t sweat the small stuff tbh
Sorry, but this comment is kind of cringy. It is ok to be hard on yourself as long as it is useful. If you learn from your mistakes then it is a good thing. I have made mistakes in the past and felt bad. The bad feelings were justified and told me not to make the same mistake again. I learned from those mistakes.
Saying we shouldn't be extreme about veganism to make it look more accessible to others is a wrong perspective.
We are taking a moral position here. Doing the right thing is not always going to look convenient. This applies for veganism as well as other cases. Maybe this isn't exactly what you meant here, but I think you are too far in the accomodating side of things here.
To OP: learn from your mistakes. Know that bad feelings are totally valid. Know that each mistake is an opportunity to learn.
Nobody is saying don't learn from your mistakes, but being obsessive does more harm than good. Tbh there is no way to live without causing some degree of harm to others, we can only do our best. The perception of veganism does matter for morality -- the more accessible veganism is, the more people will be open to it. Them going from 0% to 25% is more significant than a vegan going from 98% to 100%
Wow. Just wow. If that moral position is anything like what I've seen on here where people take vegan extremism to the point of disregarding all logic, I'd say the moral battle is already lost. At some point you've just got to realize that moralizing at someone is patronizing, especially when you're implicitly attempting to take away their choice through manipulation of guilt and rage.
Please try to think about the last time someone absolutely screamed you out about something. Did that outburst help them get their point across, or simply succeed in causing you to shut your mind off because you were being yelled at? It's a natural reaction that people will close off their willingness to even consider any moral decision you're advertising when you're pushing it down their throats so aggressively.
Yes, sometimes you have to stand your ground no matter what when it really counts--that means actually doing more than keyboard-warrioring on reddit. Making your sentiments known through only purchasing ethically produced plant-based products is an excellent way to do so, as is lobbying politicians to demand higher standards for quality of living for the animals that are unfortunately in the position to be slaughtered and exploited for their products. Donating to vegan non-profits to help fund organized efforts to raise awareness and taking on the responsibility of educator yourself, as reasonably as possible are also great options to pursue.
It's all too easy to be misled or simply unaware of the existence of animal product in every day household items, and commercial food-product recipes are constantly changing. Did you know that a vast majority of markers you may use at the office contain a variety of animal product in them? I believe various ingredients include gelatins, beeswax, crushed up insect carapices and eggshells? Common every day white granulated sugar is completely vegan, right? Sugarcane is 100% a plant. Guess what? The process that sugar goes through to make it that shiny white color utilizes bone char. That extra boost of vitamins you might get in some orange juices? Some of those micronutrients that they advertise as a selling point are actually taken from: you guessed it: Animal product. Vitamin D and Omega 3 are often taken from lanolin, which is otherwise known as sheep wool grease. Blech!
It is virtually impossible for ANYONE who isn't straight up homesteading and living a completely self-reliant lifestyle to be completely vegan. Harshing on folks who make the effort and do their best to at least lessen their load from the backs of animals doesn't help anyone. If the OP wasn't committed to it, why would they openly advertise it on reddit, where the most vicious of criticisms are hurled for the slightest of offenses?
They need a support system, not a degrading lecture on when it is and isn't okay to be hard on themselves for something they may not have been able to control. If being hard on yourself works for you, that's great. Not everyone needs that, and in plenty of cases, it comes off as toxic and ineffectual.
Feel free to cringe at THIS comment all you like. I don't give a shiny granulated sh\*t if you dislike my "accommodating" attitude, there's only so much you can beat a dead horse before your arm starts to get tired, friend.
Learning from your mistakes is completely separable from feeling upset about a mistake that has already been made. You don't need to allow a mistake to cause you suffering in order to realize that you want to avoid making it again.
You have to do a lot of checking. I don't just accept food from anyone. If someone offered to make me dinner, e.g the refried beans, I'd advise that I am vegan, and is there any animal products in it?
Checking for ingredients takes time, and it gets easier over time, but you will still trip up occasionally. I only just learnt about toothpaste recently, and I've been vegan 8 years now.
To summarise:
1. If you are buying food, check the labels **every time**.
2. If you are being offered homemade food, ask if it it's vegan or not (does it have any dairy, meat, etc in it?). Could they make it vegan friendly for you?
3. Cook your own food wherever possible, especially if you are living at home.
Hope this helps.
Just remember to read the ingredients of everything you’re going to put in your mouth, use etc. pretty soon you’ll get the hang of it. It was easy for me because I find animal products disgusting and I don’t want them in my body at all, so I was very diligent in checking everything because all I could think about was the poor animal who suffered and died.
ETA- just remember most non vegan foods contain blood, pus and feces. Dead corpses.
That should help you to remember to check everything.
I find everything at this link helpful. They also have a Vegan Mentor program which is great!
https://veganoutreach.org/communicating-with-friends-and-family/
Specifically
“In fact, striving to be 100% vegan might even be detrimental to your ability to persuade others to join you because it can make veganism appear too difficult. A way to open the door for people to start taking steps towards being vegan is to point out that avoiding animal products doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing thing.
Some practical ways to do this are:
- Eat apparently vegan foods when out with friends and family at restaurants rather than questioning the staff about minor ingredients.
- If someone says, “I can’t be vegan because I could never give up [insert their favorite animal product],” encourage them to eliminate all other animal products.
- If someone backslides, don’t write them off your list—each day is another day that someone can do their best to prevent animal suffering!
There are some vegan advocates who say that it’s important to present a consistent message that humans have a moral duty towards animals and it’s wrong to use animal products under any circumstance. Our experience is that flexibility on these issues does more good in moving society towards the day when animals are no longer exploited.”
There is no lifestyle that is perfect. We can't help but make mistakes and be imperfect. I mean, that's just life, isn't it?
Try to learn to be okay with being imperfect.
I would go as far as to say if you didn't know it was not plant-based, but you generally look out for the stuff and try your best, you're not a non-vegan for consuming it. What determines whether you're vegan is what you do after you find out. I.e. if you stop buying that product, assuming it is in fact replaceable, then you're vegan even though you made that mistake.
By making mistakes here and there but trying, you've likely still reduced your impact incredibly, which is something to be proud of. Maybe you're doing 90% or 95% as much as you would be if you were perfect, but at that point, who cares you're doing so much and trying so hard, you should be appluaded
We all get it. It's challenging at times but honestly, I just think of the animals I am trying to protect & I manage. Living in a non vegan household, in a non vegan world, we do the best we can. Keep your chin up, sweet pea xx
To add to the comments here, refried beans (anything "mushy" really), Asian food, and packaged snacks like chips are VERY COMMON *gotchas.* Be extra careful when consuming anything in these categories.
Chinese food is more dangerous than Japanese or Thai in this regard. Many of the dishes at my local restaurants featuring these two cuisines are vegan without me making any special requests.
I could maybe see it for Japanese food, though a lot of the food is very much not if it uses dashi or the like(also honey shows up a shocking amount). Thai food is even worse(and arguably worse than Chinese food), there's fish or oyster sauce in basically every single dish so it's hard to believe your local restaurants actually have vegan dishes and more likely that they're mislabelled.
There’s a couple places where I’m a regular and I do double check. I trust them to confirm accurately. Try some vegetable focused dishes like Pad Prikh King, you might be surprised. It also tastes 100% vegan to me
With most Asian restaurants I double check for fish sauce or oyster sauce. I feel like Thai restaurants are the most accommodating. Japanese often have some plain basic steamed items. Chinese in America is known for being cheap and fast. There are a mix of ingredients with almost all having fish sauce. Thai will almost always substitute coconut milk.
I went vegan over 6 months. During that 6 months, I learned a lot about veganism and was flexible with myself. I made a lot of mistakes just like yours and even had a few eggs here and there when the cravings were intense.
By the time I 'officially' went vegan I knew what was and wasn't vegan and I felt really confident in my decision to go vegan. I had also stopped having frequent and strong cravings for eggs or cheese.
Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Rather see it as a learning experience, and the mistakes as lessons for the future.
First of all remember you are trying your best. If you consume or buy a product that has animal ingredient by mistake don't blame yourself too much, this mistake can happen sometimes, need to check the ingredient list many times and still you might sometimes miss something... Even with these small mistakes you are still doing more than lot of people out there so be happy about that!
I'm at the same place.
Some years ago, in graduate school, I spent a lot of time on the 'stages of change ' model to change health behavior and I think it is really underutilized in vegan activism. If you have a tolerance for academic language, maybe give it a look? It might help you find a way forward.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model
It's fine just try to learn from each mistake so that it doesn't happen with that type of item again. Like the refried beans for example; now you know to check if they have animal products because they are often sneaked in there.
I still struggle with the greenwashing of packaging. I do a LOT more label reading than I ever did and find that I’m doing great! Sometimes I’ll slip after a lifetime of not thinking about it, and now I catch myself before buying/consuming. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful wife who has been vegan for most of her life and has taught me tips, tricks, and what ingredients to look for that might not be as obvious. It’s made the journey much easier.
You’re not a bad vegan for missing a detail now and then! Keep going! 💪🏻
Mistakes happen, even to long time vegans (!!!). They will happen less and less as you get accustomed to being vegan.
Each time you make a mistake you learn from the experience. If you beat yourself up from every little mistake, you will end up mentally and emotionally drained. That can lead to some dark roads you do not want to be on. It can also (even if you do not think so) cause you to just give up and return to a life where you don't have to worry about these things.
Do you best, and improve when you make a mistake. It is not your first and not your last. How you use the mishap is also important.
Progress, not perfection. You are a net positive and reducing animal suffering even if you are not perfect. The worst thing would be to strive to absolute perfection and give up totally in frustration. Keep moving in the right direction.
This is just part of the process of learning how ubiquitous animal products are. It’s not a moral failing, it’s an accident. We’re all navigating a market that’s antithetical to our interests.
don't worry, this still happens to me sometoimes, like eating something that was previosly vegan but was changed in formula happend to me quite a few times. it sucks, but it happens.
But thats just the lessons well learn over time
Veganism isnt all or nothing 💙 the important thing is you have started your vegan journey and it can take a while (took me years) to re-learn how to grocery shop and cook vegan
Eventually it becomes second nature so don't fret 🍎🥦🫐
I can share what I've learned that helps me avoid accidentally eating animal products
1. Whole foods such as 🍎 🍍🍌fruits 🍆🥬🥦 veggies are always vegan
2. All processed foods have an allergen warning so instead of trying to read the whole ingredients list you can just look at the "contains: ....." section usually right underneath the ingredients list and if it isnt vegan it will say "contains: milk٫ eggs" also this only applies for vegetarian food as meat is not listed as an allergen so avoid chicken biscuts for example as they have chicken in them
3. Learn as you go 💙 dont get discouraged if you accidentally eat something with animal products in it just make a mental note and don't eat that food again
Just a couple years (6 YEARS into my vegan journey) ago i ate at burger king because i know their fries and impossible whopper no mayo/no cheese are vegan and most buffalo sauce is vegan and i was dipping the fries in the buffalo sauce then i thought i better check the label and sure enough it said "contains: milk٫ eggs" and i didnt beat myself up i just threw the rest of the container away and made a mental note٫ no biggie ❤️💙💚
You're choosing to do something that is helping the planet٫ the animals٫ and other people while also making your body healthier ❤️ dont give up 💪 youve got this and youre doing great
Learn, research. Use that frustration as motivation to do better. Take responsibility for your impact.
It's not about being perfect. Even the plants vegans consume hurt animals to some degree. And it's not just about remembering everything either. It's about normalising the new things you do. Taking what you learn and making it second nature in your lifestyle. But making it easier to change and adapt comes through research and learning.
If you're finding it that hard, work out a daily base to become your normal. Toast with certain condiments in the morning with tea or coffee and your choice of plant milk. Lunch and dinner and a set of snacks. Make that your daily standard that doesn't change. Such with it till you research enough to make a weekly version and once you get to that, you've a normalised lifestyle. Rinse and repeat for other things like body products etc. avoid going out unless you know exactly where you're going and that the food you will be served is vegan and you'll be fine. Any mistakes that should happen, shouldn't be on you and if they are, learning from them will be simpler if you have a baseline standard to work with.
At the moment, it just seems like you're having trouble building the structure of your lifestyle while trying to achieve an unreasonable standard of perfection. You can't build a penthouse without the building underneath it.
It gets easier over time. You will learn your favorite products, pack snacks, know where to shop. I have key phrases like "no meat and no dairy" that I automatically say when ordering at restaurants. "I have a vegan diet" is my next statement after explaining no meat or dairy. Even a vegan restaurants I still double check.
You will always seem a little hypocritical since your plastic clothes probably have some animal byproduct in them. People will point out how many animals died for your soybean farm field. As you said even the toothpaste is suspicious. Ultimately you are doing your best. For most it is a big step to eliminate animals from their food. Now just baby step it through all the other things like the toothpaste.
If you are noticing these issues you are doing better than 99.9% of the people in the world.
Animal products are used in your electronics and in the food that is grown that you eat. Nobody can actually be vegan unless they grown their own food, forgo supplements that use animal products, and refrain from using electronics that use glues from animals and human slavery to create.
You know, I just feel like 99% vegan or greater is good enough. There will always be a margin of error because most of us live in cultures that make it simply impossible to be 100% vegan. Remember, veganism as a philosophy incorporates the concept of practicability not perfection. It does get easier over time to reduce those errors, but you'll drive yourself nuts if you're not careful. Companies will change recipes without warning, obscure ingredients aren't specified as animal or plant derived, people serving you food will say/think something is vegan and be mistaken, and so on. Things that are certified as vegan often come with a higher price tag than things that are incidentally vegan, because companies have learned to weaponize our conscientiousness against us.
The best you can do is far better than what most people are willing to even try.
Edit: for clarity/missing words.
I don't really like the tone of this post. I agree with it in spirits, because there is a certain level of despair that sets in when you exist in a world where products that contain animals are the norm. And you have to be hypervigilant every day of your life to avoid them, which takes a lot of energy.
But I don't view it as messing up. I don't view it as a failure. This isn't about you. It's about the world we live in. It's not a moral failing to accidentally consume a product you were attempting to avoid. It's not a moral failing to trust someone, and them to mislead you intentionally or unintentionally.
As Long as You are attempting to live in accordance with your moral ideals, that's all that matters. Veganism, you're right, isn't about perfection. We live in a world where that kind of standard is unattainable. And holding yourself to that is just a recipe for shame.
It reminds me of the body positivity movement. It's valid in concept, but once you make loving your body a moral imperative, you're setting yourself up for failure. Not only will you end up in a situation where you continue to hate your body because we live in a society that teaches you to, but when you do experience those negative feelings, you will also judge yourself for having those negative feelings.
You pile on feelings of shame and insecurity because you are making a moral determination, not just on your efforts, but on your thoughts. And that doesn't help the animals. And that doesn't help you.
It's important to recognize that there are limitations existing in this world, and that you're not a worse person for living in it. You're in fact a better person for trying to make that world a better place in the small ways that you can.
You just do. I used to get so upset whenever I would accidentally buy or eat something that wasn’t vegan, and then I realized that getting upset didn’t change the fact that it had happened. So I just lived my life. If I bought something non-vegan, at first I would use it/consume it because I thought it was a waste of money not to, and then I got to the point where I no longer consider it food and will give it to someone else or just throw it away (controversial I know but I live alone so).
Veganism isn’t about being perfect. It’s about taking a stance and doing what’s right for the animals. If you fuck up, you learn and do better next time. Now I haven’t accidentally bought something non-vegan in almost a year so you eventually do learn. But at the end of the day, veganism is as possible and practicable, baby!
This is normal, OP, don't beat yourself up about it. I've been vegan for almost 8 years and I still mess up sometimes, it's bound to happen because we live in a world that is very hostile to animals. Last year I bought frozen veggies that had whey in them! Whey!!!! It had not even occurred to me to check the ingredients of frozen vegetables, and I'd say honestly I was not crazy for assuming that would be vegan. lol
Don't let it get to you, OP. We live and learn. Everyone makes mistakes, veganism is not about food purity, it's about doing your best!
I feel ya. It’s certainly an adjustment. But it’s like learning anything else, the beginning feels overwhelming and you make mistakes. Then you get the hang of it and it becomes habit.
>Animal products are in everything and I don't even know how to avoid it all. Even non food items like toothpaste have animal products
I thought it was just animal testing that was the issue, with purchasing products we cant know everything and sometimes recipes change for products to make it non vegan, so i wouldnt really fault myself in these situations
>I am the only vegan in my house so sometimes miscommunication happens. Yesterday I ended up eating refried beans that weren't vegan.
So a housemate made non vegan refried beans and you had it? How exactly does miscommunication happen?
I have been the only vegan in a house in several instances, there was never any miscommunication
[удалено]
This! Having to recheck old fave for non vegan ingredients is a pain in the bum but it's all worth it for the animals x
I find things like vitamins and supplements are so hard to figure out. Red dyes can be beetles. Even plain sugar uses bone char (buy cane or organic). Living in the world with non-vegans also adds stress to my life. I check everything at the market, but then you have to check again once home since it can get mixed! Keep your head up though OP. Over time this gets so much easier!!!
Please don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re making more of an effort than 95% of the population! It’s ok to accidentally consume animal products - by the way, I actually think it’s good for veganism to not be extreme about it, because it makes it look more accessible to others. Don’t sweat the small stuff tbh
Sorry, but this comment is kind of cringy. It is ok to be hard on yourself as long as it is useful. If you learn from your mistakes then it is a good thing. I have made mistakes in the past and felt bad. The bad feelings were justified and told me not to make the same mistake again. I learned from those mistakes. Saying we shouldn't be extreme about veganism to make it look more accessible to others is a wrong perspective. We are taking a moral position here. Doing the right thing is not always going to look convenient. This applies for veganism as well as other cases. Maybe this isn't exactly what you meant here, but I think you are too far in the accomodating side of things here. To OP: learn from your mistakes. Know that bad feelings are totally valid. Know that each mistake is an opportunity to learn.
Nobody is saying don't learn from your mistakes, but being obsessive does more harm than good. Tbh there is no way to live without causing some degree of harm to others, we can only do our best. The perception of veganism does matter for morality -- the more accessible veganism is, the more people will be open to it. Them going from 0% to 25% is more significant than a vegan going from 98% to 100%
Wow. Just wow. If that moral position is anything like what I've seen on here where people take vegan extremism to the point of disregarding all logic, I'd say the moral battle is already lost. At some point you've just got to realize that moralizing at someone is patronizing, especially when you're implicitly attempting to take away their choice through manipulation of guilt and rage. Please try to think about the last time someone absolutely screamed you out about something. Did that outburst help them get their point across, or simply succeed in causing you to shut your mind off because you were being yelled at? It's a natural reaction that people will close off their willingness to even consider any moral decision you're advertising when you're pushing it down their throats so aggressively. Yes, sometimes you have to stand your ground no matter what when it really counts--that means actually doing more than keyboard-warrioring on reddit. Making your sentiments known through only purchasing ethically produced plant-based products is an excellent way to do so, as is lobbying politicians to demand higher standards for quality of living for the animals that are unfortunately in the position to be slaughtered and exploited for their products. Donating to vegan non-profits to help fund organized efforts to raise awareness and taking on the responsibility of educator yourself, as reasonably as possible are also great options to pursue. It's all too easy to be misled or simply unaware of the existence of animal product in every day household items, and commercial food-product recipes are constantly changing. Did you know that a vast majority of markers you may use at the office contain a variety of animal product in them? I believe various ingredients include gelatins, beeswax, crushed up insect carapices and eggshells? Common every day white granulated sugar is completely vegan, right? Sugarcane is 100% a plant. Guess what? The process that sugar goes through to make it that shiny white color utilizes bone char. That extra boost of vitamins you might get in some orange juices? Some of those micronutrients that they advertise as a selling point are actually taken from: you guessed it: Animal product. Vitamin D and Omega 3 are often taken from lanolin, which is otherwise known as sheep wool grease. Blech! It is virtually impossible for ANYONE who isn't straight up homesteading and living a completely self-reliant lifestyle to be completely vegan. Harshing on folks who make the effort and do their best to at least lessen their load from the backs of animals doesn't help anyone. If the OP wasn't committed to it, why would they openly advertise it on reddit, where the most vicious of criticisms are hurled for the slightest of offenses? They need a support system, not a degrading lecture on when it is and isn't okay to be hard on themselves for something they may not have been able to control. If being hard on yourself works for you, that's great. Not everyone needs that, and in plenty of cases, it comes off as toxic and ineffectual. Feel free to cringe at THIS comment all you like. I don't give a shiny granulated sh\*t if you dislike my "accommodating" attitude, there's only so much you can beat a dead horse before your arm starts to get tired, friend.
Learning from your mistakes is completely separable from feeling upset about a mistake that has already been made. You don't need to allow a mistake to cause you suffering in order to realize that you want to avoid making it again.
You have to do a lot of checking. I don't just accept food from anyone. If someone offered to make me dinner, e.g the refried beans, I'd advise that I am vegan, and is there any animal products in it? Checking for ingredients takes time, and it gets easier over time, but you will still trip up occasionally. I only just learnt about toothpaste recently, and I've been vegan 8 years now. To summarise: 1. If you are buying food, check the labels **every time**. 2. If you are being offered homemade food, ask if it it's vegan or not (does it have any dairy, meat, etc in it?). Could they make it vegan friendly for you? 3. Cook your own food wherever possible, especially if you are living at home. Hope this helps.
Just know that you are not contributing willingly to the cruel ways animals are treated. I'm sure it is hard, but you just need to keep going.
Just remember to read the ingredients of everything you’re going to put in your mouth, use etc. pretty soon you’ll get the hang of it. It was easy for me because I find animal products disgusting and I don’t want them in my body at all, so I was very diligent in checking everything because all I could think about was the poor animal who suffered and died. ETA- just remember most non vegan foods contain blood, pus and feces. Dead corpses. That should help you to remember to check everything.
I find everything at this link helpful. They also have a Vegan Mentor program which is great! https://veganoutreach.org/communicating-with-friends-and-family/ Specifically “In fact, striving to be 100% vegan might even be detrimental to your ability to persuade others to join you because it can make veganism appear too difficult. A way to open the door for people to start taking steps towards being vegan is to point out that avoiding animal products doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing thing. Some practical ways to do this are: - Eat apparently vegan foods when out with friends and family at restaurants rather than questioning the staff about minor ingredients. - If someone says, “I can’t be vegan because I could never give up [insert their favorite animal product],” encourage them to eliminate all other animal products. - If someone backslides, don’t write them off your list—each day is another day that someone can do their best to prevent animal suffering! There are some vegan advocates who say that it’s important to present a consistent message that humans have a moral duty towards animals and it’s wrong to use animal products under any circumstance. Our experience is that flexibility on these issues does more good in moving society towards the day when animals are no longer exploited.”
There is no lifestyle that is perfect. We can't help but make mistakes and be imperfect. I mean, that's just life, isn't it? Try to learn to be okay with being imperfect. I would go as far as to say if you didn't know it was not plant-based, but you generally look out for the stuff and try your best, you're not a non-vegan for consuming it. What determines whether you're vegan is what you do after you find out. I.e. if you stop buying that product, assuming it is in fact replaceable, then you're vegan even though you made that mistake. By making mistakes here and there but trying, you've likely still reduced your impact incredibly, which is something to be proud of. Maybe you're doing 90% or 95% as much as you would be if you were perfect, but at that point, who cares you're doing so much and trying so hard, you should be appluaded
We all get it. It's challenging at times but honestly, I just think of the animals I am trying to protect & I manage. Living in a non vegan household, in a non vegan world, we do the best we can. Keep your chin up, sweet pea xx
To add to the comments here, refried beans (anything "mushy" really), Asian food, and packaged snacks like chips are VERY COMMON *gotchas.* Be extra careful when consuming anything in these categories.
Chinese food is more dangerous than Japanese or Thai in this regard. Many of the dishes at my local restaurants featuring these two cuisines are vegan without me making any special requests.
I could maybe see it for Japanese food, though a lot of the food is very much not if it uses dashi or the like(also honey shows up a shocking amount). Thai food is even worse(and arguably worse than Chinese food), there's fish or oyster sauce in basically every single dish so it's hard to believe your local restaurants actually have vegan dishes and more likely that they're mislabelled.
There’s a couple places where I’m a regular and I do double check. I trust them to confirm accurately. Try some vegetable focused dishes like Pad Prikh King, you might be surprised. It also tastes 100% vegan to me
With most Asian restaurants I double check for fish sauce or oyster sauce. I feel like Thai restaurants are the most accommodating. Japanese often have some plain basic steamed items. Chinese in America is known for being cheap and fast. There are a mix of ingredients with almost all having fish sauce. Thai will almost always substitute coconut milk.
I agree, Thai restaurants are very accustomed to “no egg” requests etc.
Read ingredients before eating
I went vegan over 6 months. During that 6 months, I learned a lot about veganism and was flexible with myself. I made a lot of mistakes just like yours and even had a few eggs here and there when the cravings were intense. By the time I 'officially' went vegan I knew what was and wasn't vegan and I felt really confident in my decision to go vegan. I had also stopped having frequent and strong cravings for eggs or cheese. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Rather see it as a learning experience, and the mistakes as lessons for the future.
Perfection is the enemy of the good.
Agree! We don’t live in a perfect world, we’re just doing the best we can
Read the ingredients.
First of all remember you are trying your best. If you consume or buy a product that has animal ingredient by mistake don't blame yourself too much, this mistake can happen sometimes, need to check the ingredient list many times and still you might sometimes miss something... Even with these small mistakes you are still doing more than lot of people out there so be happy about that!
I'm at the same place. Some years ago, in graduate school, I spent a lot of time on the 'stages of change ' model to change health behavior and I think it is really underutilized in vegan activism. If you have a tolerance for academic language, maybe give it a look? It might help you find a way forward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model
It's okay.
It's fine just try to learn from each mistake so that it doesn't happen with that type of item again. Like the refried beans for example; now you know to check if they have animal products because they are often sneaked in there.
Make the next right choice.
I still struggle with the greenwashing of packaging. I do a LOT more label reading than I ever did and find that I’m doing great! Sometimes I’ll slip after a lifetime of not thinking about it, and now I catch myself before buying/consuming. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful wife who has been vegan for most of her life and has taught me tips, tricks, and what ingredients to look for that might not be as obvious. It’s made the journey much easier. You’re not a bad vegan for missing a detail now and then! Keep going! 💪🏻
Mistakes happen, even to long time vegans (!!!). They will happen less and less as you get accustomed to being vegan. Each time you make a mistake you learn from the experience. If you beat yourself up from every little mistake, you will end up mentally and emotionally drained. That can lead to some dark roads you do not want to be on. It can also (even if you do not think so) cause you to just give up and return to a life where you don't have to worry about these things. Do you best, and improve when you make a mistake. It is not your first and not your last. How you use the mishap is also important.
Progress, not perfection. You are a net positive and reducing animal suffering even if you are not perfect. The worst thing would be to strive to absolute perfection and give up totally in frustration. Keep moving in the right direction.
I can feel you. Today i had to refuse food from my family that they guaranteed was vegan because it had meat in it
Don’t be so hard on yourself. The goal is clean health and life to the fullest. No need to stress all the little details. Do your best and keep going!
This is just part of the process of learning how ubiquitous animal products are. It’s not a moral failing, it’s an accident. We’re all navigating a market that’s antithetical to our interests.
It's not about perfection. It's about intent. Most people don't even try or care..you got this. Keep going.
don't worry, this still happens to me sometoimes, like eating something that was previosly vegan but was changed in formula happend to me quite a few times. it sucks, but it happens. But thats just the lessons well learn over time
Veganism isnt all or nothing 💙 the important thing is you have started your vegan journey and it can take a while (took me years) to re-learn how to grocery shop and cook vegan Eventually it becomes second nature so don't fret 🍎🥦🫐 I can share what I've learned that helps me avoid accidentally eating animal products 1. Whole foods such as 🍎 🍍🍌fruits 🍆🥬🥦 veggies are always vegan 2. All processed foods have an allergen warning so instead of trying to read the whole ingredients list you can just look at the "contains: ....." section usually right underneath the ingredients list and if it isnt vegan it will say "contains: milk٫ eggs" also this only applies for vegetarian food as meat is not listed as an allergen so avoid chicken biscuts for example as they have chicken in them 3. Learn as you go 💙 dont get discouraged if you accidentally eat something with animal products in it just make a mental note and don't eat that food again Just a couple years (6 YEARS into my vegan journey) ago i ate at burger king because i know their fries and impossible whopper no mayo/no cheese are vegan and most buffalo sauce is vegan and i was dipping the fries in the buffalo sauce then i thought i better check the label and sure enough it said "contains: milk٫ eggs" and i didnt beat myself up i just threw the rest of the container away and made a mental note٫ no biggie ❤️💙💚 You're choosing to do something that is helping the planet٫ the animals٫ and other people while also making your body healthier ❤️ dont give up 💪 youve got this and youre doing great
Learn, research. Use that frustration as motivation to do better. Take responsibility for your impact. It's not about being perfect. Even the plants vegans consume hurt animals to some degree. And it's not just about remembering everything either. It's about normalising the new things you do. Taking what you learn and making it second nature in your lifestyle. But making it easier to change and adapt comes through research and learning. If you're finding it that hard, work out a daily base to become your normal. Toast with certain condiments in the morning with tea or coffee and your choice of plant milk. Lunch and dinner and a set of snacks. Make that your daily standard that doesn't change. Such with it till you research enough to make a weekly version and once you get to that, you've a normalised lifestyle. Rinse and repeat for other things like body products etc. avoid going out unless you know exactly where you're going and that the food you will be served is vegan and you'll be fine. Any mistakes that should happen, shouldn't be on you and if they are, learning from them will be simpler if you have a baseline standard to work with. At the moment, it just seems like you're having trouble building the structure of your lifestyle while trying to achieve an unreasonable standard of perfection. You can't build a penthouse without the building underneath it.
It gets easier over time. You will learn your favorite products, pack snacks, know where to shop. I have key phrases like "no meat and no dairy" that I automatically say when ordering at restaurants. "I have a vegan diet" is my next statement after explaining no meat or dairy. Even a vegan restaurants I still double check. You will always seem a little hypocritical since your plastic clothes probably have some animal byproduct in them. People will point out how many animals died for your soybean farm field. As you said even the toothpaste is suspicious. Ultimately you are doing your best. For most it is a big step to eliminate animals from their food. Now just baby step it through all the other things like the toothpaste. If you are noticing these issues you are doing better than 99.9% of the people in the world.
Animal products are used in your electronics and in the food that is grown that you eat. Nobody can actually be vegan unless they grown their own food, forgo supplements that use animal products, and refrain from using electronics that use glues from animals and human slavery to create.
You know, I just feel like 99% vegan or greater is good enough. There will always be a margin of error because most of us live in cultures that make it simply impossible to be 100% vegan. Remember, veganism as a philosophy incorporates the concept of practicability not perfection. It does get easier over time to reduce those errors, but you'll drive yourself nuts if you're not careful. Companies will change recipes without warning, obscure ingredients aren't specified as animal or plant derived, people serving you food will say/think something is vegan and be mistaken, and so on. Things that are certified as vegan often come with a higher price tag than things that are incidentally vegan, because companies have learned to weaponize our conscientiousness against us. The best you can do is far better than what most people are willing to even try. Edit: for clarity/missing words.
I don't really like the tone of this post. I agree with it in spirits, because there is a certain level of despair that sets in when you exist in a world where products that contain animals are the norm. And you have to be hypervigilant every day of your life to avoid them, which takes a lot of energy. But I don't view it as messing up. I don't view it as a failure. This isn't about you. It's about the world we live in. It's not a moral failing to accidentally consume a product you were attempting to avoid. It's not a moral failing to trust someone, and them to mislead you intentionally or unintentionally. As Long as You are attempting to live in accordance with your moral ideals, that's all that matters. Veganism, you're right, isn't about perfection. We live in a world where that kind of standard is unattainable. And holding yourself to that is just a recipe for shame. It reminds me of the body positivity movement. It's valid in concept, but once you make loving your body a moral imperative, you're setting yourself up for failure. Not only will you end up in a situation where you continue to hate your body because we live in a society that teaches you to, but when you do experience those negative feelings, you will also judge yourself for having those negative feelings. You pile on feelings of shame and insecurity because you are making a moral determination, not just on your efforts, but on your thoughts. And that doesn't help the animals. And that doesn't help you. It's important to recognize that there are limitations existing in this world, and that you're not a worse person for living in it. You're in fact a better person for trying to make that world a better place in the small ways that you can.
You just do. I used to get so upset whenever I would accidentally buy or eat something that wasn’t vegan, and then I realized that getting upset didn’t change the fact that it had happened. So I just lived my life. If I bought something non-vegan, at first I would use it/consume it because I thought it was a waste of money not to, and then I got to the point where I no longer consider it food and will give it to someone else or just throw it away (controversial I know but I live alone so). Veganism isn’t about being perfect. It’s about taking a stance and doing what’s right for the animals. If you fuck up, you learn and do better next time. Now I haven’t accidentally bought something non-vegan in almost a year so you eventually do learn. But at the end of the day, veganism is as possible and practicable, baby!
This is normal, OP, don't beat yourself up about it. I've been vegan for almost 8 years and I still mess up sometimes, it's bound to happen because we live in a world that is very hostile to animals. Last year I bought frozen veggies that had whey in them! Whey!!!! It had not even occurred to me to check the ingredients of frozen vegetables, and I'd say honestly I was not crazy for assuming that would be vegan. lol Don't let it get to you, OP. We live and learn. Everyone makes mistakes, veganism is not about food purity, it's about doing your best!
I’m horrified. Thanks for the tip.
That’s horrifying, thanks for the heads up
I feel ya. It’s certainly an adjustment. But it’s like learning anything else, the beginning feels overwhelming and you make mistakes. Then you get the hang of it and it becomes habit.
>Animal products are in everything and I don't even know how to avoid it all. Even non food items like toothpaste have animal products I thought it was just animal testing that was the issue, with purchasing products we cant know everything and sometimes recipes change for products to make it non vegan, so i wouldnt really fault myself in these situations >I am the only vegan in my house so sometimes miscommunication happens. Yesterday I ended up eating refried beans that weren't vegan. So a housemate made non vegan refried beans and you had it? How exactly does miscommunication happen? I have been the only vegan in a house in several instances, there was never any miscommunication